Thursday, November 29, 2012

Captain America #1

It sure seems like Rick Remender likes the same comics I do. I also discovered Jack Kirby’s manic run on Captain America in recent years, so I understand exactly what Remender means when he says Arnim Zola always belonged in Captain America.

It’s interesting, while many of the Marvel NOW books are taking the relaunch as a chance to create new villains or change things up, Remender is putting a new coat of paint on Zola. Arnim Zola has long been a pet favorite of mine, but this is the first time he really feels dangerous. Creating his own sub-dimension filled with revolting bio-creations makes sense for the mad scientist, and the level of planning he’s taken in order to obtain Cap sure helps Zola seem like an A-lister.

One jarring, but interesting change is in the tone of Cap’s interior monologue. Brubaker’s Cap was always pretty restrained, and he spent a lot of time worrying about Bucky. Remender’s Cap is always thinking about his next move, and weighing the results of his last. Cap is a lot more of a physical, action-based character here. We can read about every wound and the merits of each shield toss. Dialogue-wise, Cap’s still a bit stiff, but the surrounding characters are fantastic. The gonzo Green Skull and Zola have distinct voices that make them fun to hate. Cap’s attempts at humor with Sharon Carter are awkward, but so is the situation, so I can’t tell exactly what Cap’s voice will be during this run.

John Romita Jr. doesn’t quite have the look down for Cap’s new costume. The helmet seems a tad off, but it’s worth it to get Romita’s kinetic sense of action. I actually laughed with glee when Cap powers his way out his restraints in Zola’s lab. Romita’s Cap is FAST, you can see why Zola is so frustrated that he can’t keep up.